Semiconductor manufacturing consists of a complex set of processes. These processes include three main building blocks: (i) deposition of thin films of material on a substrate, (ii) applying a patterned mask on top of the films by photolithographic imaging, and (iii) etching the films selectively to the mask. These three main building blocks must be rigorously calibrated and monitored to maintain device yield.
The manufacture of semiconductor devices can vary depending on the devices or structures being manufactured. Some of these manufacturing processes can be very time consuming and expensive. For example, conventional semiconductor fabrication processes can include the need for multiple masking steps, which leads to manufacturing complexity and costs. These masking steps can be used to manufacture transistors, as well as other devices and structures. Even in alternative methods, such as maskless self-aligned processes, masks are still required to remove contacts, etc. These self-aligned processes also suffer significant density loss, which will considerably impact device yield.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.